The present invention relates to a process for thermoprinting of color film and an apparatus adopting the process, in particular, to a process for full-automatic and synchronous quick thermoprinting of stereoscopic color film and apparatus adopting the process.
Currently, the processes of decorating the surfaces of articles with color pattern are classified into screen-printing, transfer printing, gold stamping and heat embossing and the like The above processes have a common disadvantage, that is, for an article with irregular and uneven three-dimensional surface, the surface can only be decorated with color pattern manually, and the pattern is not delicate and vivid enough.
An object of the present invention is aimed to solve the problems mentioned-above, and to provide an apparatus for full-automatic and synchronous quick thermoprinting of stereoscopic color film, which can automatically and quickly thermoprint the whole external surface of a stereoscopic printing stock with the color pattern at low temperature at a single step.
To achieve the object of the invention, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for full-automatic and synchronous quick thermoprinting of stereoscopic color film, the apparatus comprising:
a driving device provided at the upper portion of a frame;
a pressure rod which is driven by the driving device, the lower end of the pressure rod being connected with an upper form board;
a number of guide columns mounted on the top surface of the upper form board for guiding the movement of the upper form board;
an upper mold jig provided at the center of the bottom surface of the upper form board;
a lower form board provided at the lower portion of the frame;
a lower mold jig mounted at the center of the top surface of the lower form board,
a number of sliding mold jigs provided on the top surface of the lower form board around the lower mold jig, said sliding jigs being mounted movably so as to be able to slide radially; each of said sliding mold jigs being provided with a position restorating device;
means for synchronously moving said sliding mold jigs inwards toward a printing stock;
outer molds respectively fitted to the upper mold jig and the sliding mold jigs, each of the outer molds being provided with a heating wire and a temperature probe;
inner molds, which are made of heat-resistant rubber material, respectively fitted to said outer molds, each of said inner molds having a shape corresponding to the shape of a corresponding part of the printing stock;
a lower mold fitted to the lower mold jig, the external shape of the lower mold corresponding to the internal shape of the printing stock, and the lower mold being provided with an heating wire and a temperature probe.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a process for thermoprinting of stereoscopic color film, comprising the steps of:
injecting, coating or printing the internationally recognized nontoxic oil ink onto a transfer media to obtain a desired pattern or characters;
putting a special film onto the transfer media to overlap the nontoxic ink pattern or characters, so as for the pattern or characters to adhere to the special thin film temporarily;
soaking the transfer media together with the film;
taking the whole transfer media together with the film when the film with the pattern adhered thereto starts to separate from the transfer media and applying it on a desired position of the printing stock;
pushing the film with hand so that the film shifts slightly relative to the transfer media, and then pulling out the transfer media slowly while holding the film in position;
positioning the film at a desired position on the printing stock, and flattening the film while squeezing out the water;
air-drying the film;
putting the printing stock on a lower mold of an apparatus for thermoprinting of stereoscopic color film which has been heated to a predetermined temperature, the external shape of the lower mold corresponding to the internal shape of the printing stock;
thermocompressing the outer surface of the printing stock with a number of molds at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time period, the shape of each of the molds corresponding to the shape of a corresponding part of the printing stock.
With the present invention, the whole external surface of a stereoscopic printing stock can be thermoprinted with color pattern quickly at low temperature at a single step, improving the efficiency and quality as compared with the conventional process and apparatus.